Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1887-10-06
COMMUNICATED

In my communication published in
your last issue / declared as my opin-
ion that the so.called 18th amend
ment was utterly void and that no
citizen was bound by it, and that !
myself would never conform to it.
The manner Of its ratification was
recklessly vicious and unconstitution-
al. 1t was nothing more or less than
amending the constitution BY an act
Of Congress, threatening and inhicting
the severest penalties upon the ten
recusant Southern States if they failed
to reverse their previously prompt re-
lection Of it and through their legis-
latures to adopt it.
If my opinion on this subject is cor
rect land | am strengthened in the
belief that it is by its being in accord
with the opinions of many OF the
ablest men in this country, what let
me ask is the status of the colored
race in this country, and especially
in our own State The 18th amend
ment, as forced upon the country, was
intended to supersede and reverse the
decision of the Supreme Court in the
bred Scott case. If the amendment
is void, then it did not effect that
purpose, and the colored race are me-
cessariIy thrown back to their condi-
ton as it existed at the time that de-
cision was made, except that the slaves
were freed by the 18th amendment,
and by other means too numerous to
mention.
Now the decision in the bred Scott
case declares that negroes were not
and never were citizens CT the | nited
States or citizens of State according
20 the meaning Of the word citizen in
the constitution, and could have no
rights civil or political but such as
the States then all entirely under
the control of the white race chose to
allow them. This was their condition
when the constitution of the United
States was adopted, and as it has new
er up to the time Of cir rendering
their decision been amended, it was
their condition still. No lawyer can
doubt the correctness of the position
of Judge fancy as taken in his opin-
ion when he says: 1T is not the pro.
vince of the Court to decide upon the
justice or injustice, the policy or I'M
policy Of these laws. The decision of
that question belongs to those who
framed the sovereignty and formed
the constitution. The duty of the
Court is to interpret the instrument
they have framed with the best lights
We can obtain on the subject, and to
administer it as We find it according
to the true intent and meaning when
it was adopted" Seven OF the nine
Judges OF the Supreme Court united
in this opinion. Indeed, l think I
may claim that Judge Mclean, though
dissenting. probably on other points,
agreed with the Court on this point,
to wit : That a negro was not a citi-
zen Of the United States. He SAYS,
in his opinion If Congress should
deem slaves or free coIored PERSONS in
furious to the population of a IRE, tc,'-
Itory. as conducting to lessen the
value of the public lands or on any
other grounds connected with the pub.
lie interest, they have the power to
prohibit them from becoming settlers
in it. This can be sustained on the
ground of a sound national policy,
which is so clearly shown in our his
tory BY practical results, that it would
seem no considerable individual can
question il" This is not, ! should
thiak, very great compliment TO the
free colored people from one OF their